


Like That They Were Gone

by Jutschina



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: ItsStillBeautiful, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:26:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jutschina/pseuds/Jutschina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A take on Hannibal's and Will's thoughts during and immediately after the fall.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like That They Were Gone

**Author's Note:**

> My (last minute x'D) submission for #ItsStillBeautiful :)

"And like that-- he's gone" _The Usual Suspects_

 

When the moment is right, seconds can stretch into minutes, hours, eternities.  
They fell for a long time.  
Hannibal's first feeling was surprise, as he lost his balance and tumbled backwards, Will embracing him. Surprise was superseded, just a fractured moment later, by satisfaction, and pride, and delight. In their fall, he tried to pull Will even closer to him, and with an unknown pleasure he felt the other's head against his chest, his arms wrapped around him. Entwined in their journey down towards the cold sea. They had hunted together. They had killed the Great Red Dragon. Hannibal knew that his masterwork was finished, and it was, indeed, beautiful. Will had transformed to what Hannibal had wanted him to be right from the beginning. And this final act, knowing for his nature and hurling them, monsters conjoined as one, over the cliff, proved the last brush stroke to be more than Hannibal could have hoped for. And whatever was awaiting them now, once they had sunken into the black water of the moonlit sea, it was their reward, well deserved and earned over the time of years. Hannibal closed his eyes, tightened his embrace around Will - not fearing nor wondering but, for once, in harmony with his fate.  
Will held on to Hannibal as tightly as he could, and pressed his eyes shut. The wind ran through his hair that was wet with blood and sweat and the salty spray of the surf. He felt Hannibal's grip tighten around him and swallowed hard as they fell, raced towards the water. But it was fine now. Will had found himself, and he knew that, if any, death was the only way to protect the world from his gestalt. Because that's what he had done, a long, long time ago - he'd protected - saved - people. There was no way back from where he had gone now, and he did not want to go back either. But _this_ \- this was alright.

The immersion in the water was rough and parted their tight embrace. Hannibal swallowed a mouthful of salt water, his skin burned from the force of the impact. He sank deeper and deeper, losing the last grip of Will's hand, floating in the icy black sea, and he felt himself getting weak quickly. Under different circumstances, he'd have brushed off this fall like nothing; right now he was severely injured but even in this situation, he would have fought his way back to the surface... if it had not been for Will's decision to take them down in this manner. Hannibal had no intention to contradict. He let go... even though he had wished that Will was by his side right now... he drifted, ready to be devoured by the maw of the deep sea - his limbs went numb - his consciousness faded... he stepped into his memory palace and found Will there. Hannibal blacked out.

There was noise. The sound of waves splashing against rock. A seagull's scream, loud and penetrating.  
Then there was sensation. Sand beneath him. The spray drizzling him. A trail of fingers on his chest, ever so gentle.  
Hannibal opened his eyes, and met Will's gaze. He shot a short glance around. He was lying on a small strip of beach in between the rocks and the water, stretching out endless to the horizon. They were not too far from the spot where they had plunged into the water. Apparently, Will had undressed him - Hannibal was stripped naked down to his underwear, his bloodstained, wet sweater and his pants laid out neatly on a nearby rock. Hannibal looked back at Will, and raised an eyebrow. "How curious", he said - or intended to say, but his words came out roughly and were interrupted by a coughing fit that made his throat hoarse while he spewed out the salt water he had swallowed.  
Will shook his head and put a finger on Hannibal's lips. "No talking", he commanded, a somewhat excited smile playing around his lips.  
Hannibal returned the grin. He felt that he had never been at the man's mercy like this.  
"I reckoned the fall would kill the beast", Will continued in a low voice, his index finger tracing Hannibal's cheek and jawline. Hannibal shivered beneath his touch. "After all, it was quite some height, and the rocks on the bottom of the cliffs--- I thought, that'd be it." Will locked his eyes with Hannibal's and squinted. "But it wasn't like that, was it? Suddenly, something in me wanted to survive, and kept me at the surface. And then, I thought - that's alright, let him vanish beneath the sea, and leave. Huh." Will let out a laugh. "Of course, we played through that scenario before. One without the other couldn't live. Deep down, I knew that truth for a long time, but I accepted it just when we killed together. When I saw the beauty of it. But, I-- I think, I understood it only when I was out there in the water and saw you disappear beneath the waves. The truth is, though I knew I could not live without you - finally, I realised that... I did not _want to_ either."  
Hannibal closed his eyes. Something moved in him, and there was a feeling, so rare and fantastical to him that he gasped. Will's eyes filled with concern, and he held up Hannibal's head carefully.  
"Are you alright?", he asked, worry in his voice.  
Hannibal smiled and managed to sit up. "Will", he began in a croaky voice. "You and I, we are conjoined. I want you to know that-"  
Before he could continue, Will had leaned forward and pressed his lips on Hannibal's. "I told you, no talking", he murmured against the other's mouth, wrapping his arms around Hannibal and holding the man close. Hannibal kissed him back hard, then he opened his mouth, and their tongues found each other and entangled in loving tenderness.  
"No more of your game of disguise", Will said as they finally parted. Hannibal shot a loving glance at him, and it was that moment when Will knew that games on either side were no longer necessary. "We just go on from here."  
Hannibal closed his eyes and gave a slow nod before once again staring at Will. He spoke, and this time, Will allowed it. "Games are superfluous when the person you want to play is on your side. There might be players acoming to try and catch us but they never will. Go on from here? I agree. Let's away."

The morrow found the strip of beach deserted. There was a dark stain of dried blood near the rocks, and a rag of a formerly white shirt that just waited for a high wave to come and carry it away. Otherwise, only a trace of footprints gave testimony of Hannibal and Will's presence, leading somewhere up the rocks. They were already fading due to wind and water.  
And for the next years, that was all anybody ever caught of them - a brief glimpse, an untraceable trace - and they were gone.


End file.
